Conference Open Dialogue 22/11/22

'Open Dialogue' is an approach that is gaining ground both abroad and here in Belgium. It is first and foremost a goal-oriented system of psychiatric care and treatment, organising connection and dialogue with all those involved as soon as possible, broad conversations in which different experiences and perspectives are listened to openly. In this way, possible goals, strengths, resources and other solutions can also be sought together - and time and future can be gained.

Stijn Vanheule is professor of clinical psychology and psychoanalysis at Ghent University. He is an expert on psychoses and psychiatric diagnostics, and director of PsychoseNet Belgium. He has a passion for psychoanalysis and a great concern for the kind of support and therapy the most vulnerable in our society receive. He is interested in critical and clinical research on recovery from severe mental illness, especially psychosis, and how diagnostic and therapeutic practices and social dynamics affect recovery.

Nick Putman is a qualified psychotherapist and a certified Open Dialogue practitioner, with 20 years of working experience within mental health services. He has completed the two-year training/education in the Open Dialogue approach with Mary Olson, Jaakko Seikkula, Markku Sutela and others. Currently, he supports the development of the Open Dialogue approach in the UK National Health System and facilitates Open Dialogue network workshops for family and networks in London.

Dag Van Wetter is an 'Open Dialogue companion' and staff member at Steunpunt Geestelijke Gezondheid/vzw Psyche, supporting in co-creation the practice development of Open Dialogue in Flanders. After starting the development of Open Dialogue in the region of North-West Flanders in 2016, Dag is now facilitating the development in the rest of Flanders. This by supporting teams and coordinating projects in which the development of Open Dialogue is central.

Petra Hohn is a Network therapist at 'Psykiatri Södra' in Stockholm. She is head of two 'outpatient centres' and teaches dialogic practice at Stockholm University. She develops training courses on the dialogic approach and family/network perspectives across Europe. She was involved in the Parachute Project in Sweden in the 1990s and recently in the Parachute Project New York City.

Carolien Schalenbourg is a researcher at the centre of expertise Health Innovation with a focus on Mental Health. Carolien has a Master's degree in nursing and experience as a psychiatric nurse. From this passion, she also teaches at the Bachelor of Nursing in Genk and also works as a learning care specialist in the mobile recovery team in Herkenrode (Reling). She is project leader of the practice-based research project "Onderweg met Open Dialogue" that runs from 2021-2023 focusing on implementation opportunities.